Philip the Fair
| Philip the Fair | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| King of France | |
| Reign | 5 October 1285 – 29 November 1314 |
| Coronation | 6 January 1286, Reims |
| Predecessor | Philip III |
| Successor | Louis X |
|
King of Navarre with Joan I |
|
| Reign | 16 August 1284 – 4 April 1305 |
| Predecessor | Joan I |
| Successor | Louis X |
| Born | April–June 1268 Fontainebleau, France |
| Died | 29 November 1314 (aged 46) Fontainebleau, France |
| Burial | Saint Denis Basilica |
| Spouse | Joan I of Navarre |
| Issue |
Louis X, King of France Philip V, King of France Charles IV, King of France Isabella, Queen of England |
| House | Capet |
| Father | Philip III, King of France |
| Mother | Isabella of Aragon |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called the Fair (French: Philippe le Bel, Basque: Filipe Ederra) or the Iron King (French: le Roi de fer), was King of France from 1285 until his death. By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also Philip I, King of Navarre from 1284 to 1305. He also briefly ruled the County of Champagne in right of his wife, although after his accession as king in 1285 the county remained under the sole governance of his wife until her death in 1305, and then fell to his son Louis until Philip's own death in 1314, after which the county was finally united to the crown lands of France. Although Philip was known as handsome, his inflexible personality gained him other epithets, from friend and foe alike. His fierce opponent Bernard Saisset, bishop of Pamiers, said of him, "He is neither man nor beast. He is a statue."
Philip relied on skillful civil servants, such as Guillaume de Nogaret and Enguerrand de Marigny, to govern the kingdom rather than on his barons. Philip and his advisors were instrumental in the transformation of France from a feudal country to a centralized state. Philip, who sought an uncontested monarchy, compelled his vassals by wars and restricted feudal usages. His ambitions made him highly influential in European affairs. His goal was to place his relatives on foreign thrones. Princes from his house ruled in Naples and Hungary. He tried and failed to make another relative the Holy Roman Emperor. He began the long advance of France eastward by taking control of scattered fiefs.
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